Note how the shell variables aren't expanded in line 1. Line 2 contains all the object files,
probably not interesting. Line 3 contains the flags from X_libmp4v2_la_LDFLAGS, which is
populated by configure. The stuff about -install_name, and the offending -current_version
flag in the last line, evidently comes from the variable archive_cmds in ./libtool.

I did succeed in building this on 10.5.8 Intel. However, the exact same bogus link line is
used there (except that the -arch flag is i386)! The /usr/bin/libtool seems to be a more
recent vintage, though.

Uploading a patch. I get a build, but I have no idea whether it actually works (mp4v2 is pulled in by the gimp port). Warning: merely looking at this patch may cause your dog to leave you and your wife to get worms. Yes, it's that gross.

Error: Target org.macports.activate returned: Image error: /opt/local/bin/mp4art is being used by the active libmp4v2 port. Please deactivate this port first, or use 'port -f activate mp4v2' to force the activation.

Hi :o) - forgive please any newbie MacPorts-Trac-ticket-system protocol faux-pas on my part,
but having done already _loads_ of Googling and reading so far, without resolution, head now
spinning, this is just to add my "Ditto" to this bug-report and hopefully 'bump' the thread.
I'm just sorry that I don't have the necessary up-to-date programming fluency (yet?) to trace
the error-message through to a solution. For completeness' sake (and Google-searches) my route
here is as follows..

The sudden failure on 2009.10.02 of Paul Battley's (po-ru.com) hitherto extremely useful iPlayer-dl
(following changes _at_the_BBC's_end_ not his), and with the earliest prospect of a fix more than a
(vacation) week away, the race is on to get an alternative downloader installed. A tip in his site's
comments mentioned "get_iplayer" (linuxcentre.net/getiplayer) which looks promising. Unfortunately,
despite finding requests for it here, searching MacPorts shows it unavailable as a direct install.

Hmm, okay, so trying a roll-yer-own, one-by-one DIY-components approach, starting with "FFMPEG" as
one of the prerequisites/dependencies for get_iplayer I tried that : "sudo port install ffmpeg"

And that's where I fell into this mp4v2 libtool make-error hole as per the thread title above. My
error-messages at the compiler bailout point have been more like Stephen's 2009.09.02 code-snippet
above, except obviously not the i386 references.

From attempting ffmpeg I dropped to mp4v2 directly, firstly trying it within MacPorts, then even
outside directly from source. Much reading and Googling and thrashing about in ignorance, I tried
upgrading "make" to v3.81. I tried doing everything in short simple folder-paths without spaces or
other iffy characters, and I re-checked and simplified my bash $PATH environment, wondering if the
"more than one current version" might be related to having MacPorts stuff in the /opt tree
duplicating up on normal system files. I tried using the readme-recommended strategy of a clean new
/build folder with "mkdir /build ; cd build/ ; ../configure" rather than my hitherto usual simple
./configure ... all so far without success.

I started looking inside config.log, aclocal.m4, configure.ac, autoaux/*.*, GNUmakefile*.* and so
forth, searching for any and all references to darwin, ppc, libtool etc, really grasping at straws,
hoping for enough of a foothold for the old IQ to use, but very quickly realised I'm out of my
depth, not having any fluency in modern programming contexts, not even sufficient conceptual
overview of the landscape, let alone the particulars of often-dense and obfuscating syntax. So no,
not able to trace the error through, sorry. Younger more familiar eyes are needed.

Given vinc17's comment above, and even Stephen's own caveat, I have not tried said patch. I did try
some explicit command-line options just in case, and my last (failed) command-line in a direct build-
from-source folder was : "../configure --enable-bi=32 --enable-ub=ppc" which fell over similar to
Stephen's, to wit :

Following the MacPorts FAQs and Guides etc, and more for rigour than in expectation, after a
successful "sudo port -d selfupdate" I'm presently doing the "sudo port -d upgrade outdated" - it's
been chugging away for a long time already and I suspect it'll be several days yet before it's
finished on my poor old rig, albeit a faithful old girl. :D

Still, given the 'urgency' of a fix (as the BBC iPlayer streams only last a week), I thought I'd
at least register and add my slightly different setup case-notes here, hoping it bumps the thread,
hoping it saves other people wasted hours of thrashing, and hoping it all maybe snags Googlers
better placed than us to pore over the code.